The Truth is Out There, Man
by Lv4the70s
Summary: Hyde tells Jackie he loves her for the first time.


****

The First Time (_The Truth is Out There, Man_)

"Oh, man…you are going to pay for that!" Hyde shouted as he chased after Jackie into the basement. He was soaking wet from her having turned the hose on him while they were washing his car.

Jackie ran, screaming, around the couch, while Hyde took the shortcut over it and grabbed her around the waist. With little effort, he picked her up and roughly placed her beneath him on the cushions. She squealed with laughter as he playfully rubbed his wet body all over hers, mopping her face with his soaked hair. Then he started tickling her sides, which he knew she couldn't stand. She was laughing so hard that the sounds were choking in her throat. "No…Steven…stop…please." But he was relentless in his payback.

While being tickled, a hidden strength arose in Jackie, and she was able to break free. She stood up and faced Steven, with her arms out in front of her to keep him away. "Ok, Steven…I'm sorry," she laughed, taking a few steps backwards, while Steven slowly approached her. "No, I'm serious. Forgive me."

Steven smiled devilishly as he continued his approach. "Oh, no. I haven't quite finished with you yet, doll."

"Oooh, what are you going to do, scary man…" she teased, poking gently at his stomach as she backed away towards his bedroom, while he followed her every step. "Gonna force me to listen to the Who or one of your many conspiracy theories?" 

Hyde smiled while he quickly pushed and held her against the wall beside his bedroom door. Raising an eyebrow, he smirked, "You're not getting off that easy." 

His lips pressed against hers with such a force that she couldn't help but cry out. His tongue darted masterfully between her lips, dancing, swirling against her own. Her knees grew weak, as a hot flash of electrified lust seared within her, but his strong arms and body kept her glued to the spot. While kissing her as deep as humanly possible, he lifted her off the floor, guiding her legs to encircle his lower back. Using the wall as leverage, he pulled her shirt hem free from her jeans.

Jackie grabbed Hyde's curly wet locks and abruptly pulled his face away from hers. She looked deep into his eyes and with a shallow, husky voice said, "I want you, Steven." A faint smirk flicked across his lips as he started kissing her again, his right hand beginning a slow ascent up under her shirt. Much too slow. Without breaking the kiss completely, and with a twinge of girlish frustration, she slapped his shoulder and ordered sharply, "NOW!"

"Oh, gotcha…" Hyde quickly carried her into his room and shut the door.

***

A few moments later, Eric, Donna, and Fez entered the basement. Donna and Eric sat on the couch while Fez took the lawn chair.

Eric draped his arm around Donna's shoulder and looked around the room. "Huh, I wonder where Hyde's at."

"And Jackie." Donna included.

"Oh…yeah," Eric finished, with mock indication, "…and Jackie."

Fez was sucking away on a Dum-Dum® lollipop. He pulled it out and looked at the tiny sucker. "I now know the true meaning to your name, sweet one…it's because some American dum-dum made you too damn small," he whined, putting the sucker back into his mouth.

"Fez, that makes your 20th sucker in an hour." Donna marveled. "Aren't you getting sick of them yet?"

"Sick of candy?" He looked at Donna puzzled. "Hi, have we met?"

Eric glanced at his watch. "I don't get it. We said 2 o'clock. Where could Hyde be…" He shifted slightly in his seat and felt the couch. "and why is the couch wet…" He then noticed the floor. "and the floor?"

Eric's eyes followed the water droplets that trailed around the couch as Donna glanced over her shoulder and noticed Hyde's closed door. "Well, maybe he's in his room," she said.

At that moment, rhythmic squeaking noises began to surface, growing louder and louder. Eric, Donna, and Fez all turned their heads simultaneously to look at Hyde's door. And simultaneously, they all slowly looked away, staring straight ahead. 

Eric cleared his throat. "Um, I guess we found Hyde."

"And Jackie." Donna stated, matter-of-factly.

"Or some very horny rats." Fez concluded.

The squeaking noises grew faster and louder. Fez, Eric, and Donna seemed paralyzed in their seats. Donna suppressed a laugh. Eric looked extremely ill-at-ease. And Fez unconsciously began to dab the sucker against his tongue, keeping time with the bed squeaks. 

"Oh, Steven…yes…yes!!" Jackie's voice echoed through the air.

"Oh, God…no…no!" Eric jumped up. "Guys, I think we ought to leave."

The squeaking intensified to a fever pitch as Donna and Fez rose.

"Oh, damn…Jackie…oh…God…I love you!!" Hyde shouted.

The squeaking suddenly stopped. Eric, Donna, and Fez stood there for what seemed like forever - bug-eyed, mouths opened in shock. Fez dropped his sucker. 

"Oh, my precious dum-dum." He said, bending over to retrieve it.

"Forget the damn sucker, man." Donna said, pushing him towards the door. "We've got to get out of here." 

"Wait, Donna," Eric started, still in an obvious state of shock, "are my ears bleeding?…Did I just hear…"

Donna grabbed Eric by his shirt and pulled him. "For the love of God, Eric…move, man, move!" 

The three left the basement as quickly as they could.

***

Hyde and Jackie sat on the bed staring at each other with stunned looks on their faces. Jackie drew the sheet up around her.

"What did you just say?" She implored.

Hyde shook his head slightly, seemingly dazed. "Huh?" Was all he could manage in response.

"Just now…what did you say."

"Um…" his eyes searched the room as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hey, are you thirsty?"

"Oh, no. No you don't. You are not going to change the subject on me now, Steven Hyde." She inched closer to him. "You said you loved me."

Hyde rubbed his hands against his face hard. "Jackie, I think you misunderstood. If I remember correctly…I told God…that I loved Him."

Jackie waved her hands, "Hyde, don't bring religion into this…or else I'll start to feel guilty and confused." She looked away, as if in deep thought for a moment. 

Hyde just prayed that she would drop the whole deal, but suddenly she turned back to him and pointed. "You said you loved me." She smiled slightly. "Oh my God, Steven, you said you loved me." Her smile widened. "I knew it! Oh. For so long I have wanted to hear you say those three wonderful words." She slightly shook her head, obviously pleased. 

Hyde grew more and more antsy, wishing he could be anywhere but there at that moment. 

Suddenly, her smile disappeared as a befuddled look took its place. "I just never envisioned my ankles by your ears when you said it." 

Hyde laughed and shook his head, obviously remembering it. "Yeah, you weren't kidding about the acrobat thing, were you?" He asked, leaning over and kissing her on the lips.

Playfully, she pushed him away. "Steven, did you mean it?"

Hyde sighed loudly, twisting his mouth in contemplation. After a moment's thought, he nodded and looked at her. "Yes Jackie, I meant it. I really did."

"Oh, Steven," she cooed, cupping his face in her hands and pulling him to her for a sweet, lingering kiss.

"Now, this doesn't mean the whole world has to know it yet, does it?" he asked her, between pecks.

"No…but one day, I know you're going to want to shout it from the rooftops!" she replied, dreamily.

"Oh yeah…you have me pegged, Jackie," Hyde replied, sarcastically. 

Hyde deepened the kiss. He started to get aroused again.

"Say it again," she muffled against his lips.

"What?" Hyde leaned back a little to look at her.

"Say it again," she repeated, more forcibly.

"Jackie, I've already..."

"Say it."

"Jackie…"

"Say it."

"Jack…"

"Say it!"

"Ok…man…" He shook his head and blew out a deep, resigning breath. Lifting her chin with his fingers, he looked deep into her eyes and said the words she was longing to hear…the words he was ready to say. "Jackie Burkhardt, I…love…you."

"Ohmigosh, Steven…take me…NOW!!" She squealed, pulling him down on top of her.


End file.
